A Spider's Deceit
by RulerOfCats
Summary: The jewel's world is crumbling, and all the souls are gushing out into space and time while the world inside the jewel finally disappears forever. One soul seems to linger in the darkness, waiting for the infinite void of nothing to take him over so he could go and disappear into nothing. But it seems his fate was far more twisted with another than he originally thought. [NarKik]
1. Chapter 1

A _Spider__'__s_ Deceit

NarKik

[**RulerOfCats**]

Chapter One

_Ahh, I see, in the end, I simply…._

Darkness. I lived side by side with it, like a brother in arms. I can't exactly recall when I allowed it to consume me, to eat me away and leave me empty. If I had to give an answer, I'd say it had devoured me long before 'Naraku' ever had a taste.

So the infinite depth of darkness the jewel has placed me in, honestly, wasn't that drastic a change. It swallowed me whole, leaving me just as I was in the beginning…

Empty.

_A wish?_

Ah yes. There was a time when I desired something…a time when I wanted something, but I can't remember what it was, or if it ever really existed.

I could hear names drifting off and on, in my head they sometimes echoed, I wasn't exactly certain when they stopped. Or if they stopped.

Darkness. I lived side by side with it….was it always this empty?

**Shouldn't be here. You shouldn't be here. Why are you still here?**

The sounds….I think they are speaking to me, but I can't remember anything.

**Leave him alone. He doesn't want to go.**

Go where?

**Can't stay here. This place is falling apart. **

Falling apart? It all feels the same to me. Without her….who is her? Everything is dark…

**The battle is over. This place is crumbling. Miko made a wish…**

I felt something in me stir at the words, but the empty feeling soon overpowered whatever that began to appear. I found myself far more tired than I thought, and for a moment I found the darkness erupting inside me.

Echos faded off and on, and soon everything began to conjoin with nothing. I was nothing. There was nothing inside me.

The darkness only continued to rage inside me.

"You still stay…" The voice sparked something inside me, but I found myself far too submerged into the oddity of nothing to care. The voice was cold, and I found myself igniting with an old, odd emotion that bordered on painful. What happened to the emptiness? How can this fill me so quickly?

Leave me. I wanted to say it. I didn't know why, but something inside me was saying that in someway, I belonged here.

"Leave you?" The woman's voice grew closer, but still I couldn't see anything. I couldn't even tell if my eyes were open or shut at this point, but nothing seemed to matter. The voice only continued to grow, until it was echoing all around me. "Leave you?" She repeated something useless. I didn't understand why the emotion burned. "It seems…" She paused, almost hesitant. "Even in death…our fates are intertwined."

The words seemed to echo even louder in the infinite darkness that sailed around me, and soon I found myself surrounded by a tiny spark of light, cracking through the blackness. I found myself clenching my eyes shut, wanting nothing more than to get away from the blinding pain that was clutching my eyes.

"Shy away from redemption….like always, Naraku." She whispered this time, and for a moment I felt something lightly brush along my shoulder. Being in darkness for so long, I had forgotten the feeling of touch. I tried to brush off the hand, but I found my bones reluctant to obey me. It was silent for a while, and I could no longer hear anything from this unknown woman, this nostalgic woman. "…was it worth it?" The sudden break of silence cause my eyes to snap open, but soon the blinding light caused them to shut tightly closed.

I couldn't even process what she asked for a while, but finally the last bit of her words seemed to flow through me. What?

Why am I here?

"…your wish…did it come true?"

My wish…

…my wish…?

I wished…

I found my eyes slowly opening, only seeing the blinding white light. I didn't close them, and gladly accepted the burn that soared through my body.

_Ahh yes. I simply wanted…_

Two cold palms, pressed against my face, cupping me and dragging me further out of the darkness. I slowly found my body surrounded by a warmth I had never known before, a warmth that somewhere in me…yearned for.

_I simply wanted her heart._

"Ironic…to be so intertwined in the fate of my killer," she whispered, but her voice was completely absent from bitterness. There was nothing there, and more than anything, she just wanted to be free of fate.

She wanted to be free from the world that caused her so much suffering.

And yes…she wanted to be free from the presence of Onigumo.

She found her arms wrapped around the rather helpless body of Naraku, her pale skin blending perfectly with his own. The very presence of him next to her made her sick, but still she found herself unable to leave him here. Much like those many years ago, she once more found herself stuck in the endless cycle of saving this man.

The Onigumo who she should have let die, broken and burned on the ground…

And the Naraku, who she should have let crumble in the dark, broken and nothing.

She let out a sigh, finding the warmth of light towering over her, her arms continued to wind around him, even as the light faded and she found herself once more on the ground. Her feet touching the dirt, her legs covered in the red material of her robes, and yes…

Naraku, covered in his familiar dark blue clothes, with his raven hair, scattered all over his body. She felt her entire form shake as she crawled away from him, the sickness in her gut stabbing through her like a blade. Her nails dug into her palms, scrapping against skin as she found herself back inside the familiar cave in which Onigumo spent his waking hours yearning for her.

She dug her face into her knees, feeling her frame start to crumble as she noticed her nails had successfully managed to draw blood.

The sight of the scarlet color running down her skin seemed to calm her down completely, and she found herself absorbed into the cut.

_So, I've gained life once more._

She let out a bitter laugh, finding her head resting against the cave wall. The laugh continued and she found herself shaking until she felt tears flow down her cheeks. She slapped them away, the blood from her palm, scrapping against her skin. She let her arm fall limply at her side as she stared into the nothingness of the wall.

Her eyes narrowed as she heard Naraku's frame shift. Somewhere, she had hoped that the man had died, finally doing the world a favor. But it appeared fate had decided to make both of them impossible to kill.

His scarlet eyes connected onto hers, she found herself unable to look away. Not by some unknown force, connecting their eyes, but rather, she was exhausted. Just tired. Why he continued was unknown to her. Perhaps he was delirious from three years drifting in pure nothingness, perhaps it was because seconds feel like hundreds of years in nothingness, perhaps he didn't trust anything he saw, perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. She didn't care. She found herself unable to care about anything. She was drained.

"You're dead." He stated, and she gave him an uncaring blink in return.

"As were you." She finally replied, and he narrowed his scarlet eyes as he noticed the familiar cave in which he had once laid, weak and broken. It slightly amused her when she saw his expression darken into the Naraku she had come to know, not surprised that he hadn't been completely burned out. "Fitting place to end up, do you not think so?"

His eyes narrowed on her, before he looked down at his hands, finding them much weaker than he had ever seen them. His entire body felt weak. He barely had even the strength to stand up. His eyes snapped to her as he noticed her complacent stare, seeping into his body.

"It would appear…you are back to your original state as a hanyou." She murmured, genuinely expecting him to have become human, as it would have made things so much easier to wait for his death. Although, she still wasn't able to feel too worried, as without the jewel, as far as she could see, Naraku was without purpose.

His existence was based around becoming full youkai, and as far as she could see, a demon without a purpose could just as easily become dirt.

She slowly stood up, fully aware of his eyes narrowing on every last movement of her body. She found feel his entire existence, proving that her powers as a Miko hadn't even slightly diminished. The light of the cave's exit only got closer and closer, and she still found herself hesitating to step out from it, finding that the presence of Naraku's unmoving, broken frame, still managed to cause her heart to halt.

She didn't dare look back at him, not wanting to catch his eyes. She didn't want to look upon his tainted form ever again, and she wanted him to disappear from every corner of the world. She wanted him to leave every corner of her memories, every corner of her mind, every corner of her heart, and yet there he lingered, in every corner she turned.

He lips trembled, opening and closing before she finally forced her body out of the cave, leaving him in the dark. In the dark is where she should have left in the first place.

•

Kikyo found her legs obeying her far better than she had originally thought, allowing her to grow further and further from the darkness that lingered around Onigumo's cave. Whether the hanyou was still there, she couldn't help but wonder. How could she not? Shikon no Tama or not, he was still dangerous and had managed to end her life prior to all his increases in power.

If she had any of her weapons, she was fairly certain that she could have killed him, and yet the thoughts of killing him only seemed to grow stronger now that she had likely missed her chance.

She pressed Naraku to the back of her mind, finding that he no longer wanted to further cause her thoughts to suffer on his behalf. She wasn't even certain how long had passed and what time period she would arrive in, but her feet continued to walk the familiar path where her home village had laid. She wasn't even that surprised that her legs remembered the way.

A large part of herself was hoping it hadn't been that long, and that she could see her sister once more. Lay herself down to rest in her home. The bed where she had once slept so many years ago. She found herself walking faster at the thought, slightly surprised when she found the familiar orchards of crops, were nowhere to be found. The familiar river, where she used to sit and watch the currents go by (mind you, she had usually been using herself as bait for youkai lurking in the shadows, but it had been sort of nice), was dried up.

Her face gave away nothing, and her lips were empty of movement. She found herself just staring at the dried up canal. Her eyes quickly moved up, staring at the vacant field, catching the glimpse of burned down houses.

She found the expression on her face further emptying as she walked closer to the village where she had been born. Her eyes wandering over to the area where she had shot her first bow, the spot on the river where she had met InuYasha, before finally lingering on the place where the broken ruminants of her house lay buried. Where her parents had succumbed to their wounds, where she had learned how to walk, where she had first discovered she was different.

Was there where her sister met her end as well?

Kikyo's expression only hardened, the wall between her heart and her eyes, thickening until she was gazing at nothing. She found her earlier, hopeful thoughts of finding her sister, her home, in tact to be foolish now.

She knelt down to the ground, able to feel the presence of life underneath, the souls of the dead were buried here. They were without rest and without light. She slowly pressed her palm, flat against the ground, the dried earth becoming a bit softer with the pure light rushing from her body.

The souls underneath became calm, their bitterness purified so they can pass onto the next world. She glanced up at her house, her eyes half open and her lips slightly parted.

She almost wished she could purify herself, instead of always using her powers on others. Even in death, she was still only a Miko. In life, she will also only be a Miko.

She pressed her hands up against the ground once more, finding herself almost wanting to cry. The water that seemed to fill her body didn't escape, and she soon found her slightly reddened eyes just staring out into nothing. For a moment, time seemed to slip away from her, but like always, his face once again came to her eyes and she found herself swelling with old hatred. She clutched her stomach, trying to strip it from the depths of her mind.

She had gotten her revenge, and she found no point in fretting on it. He was stripped of his powers, of his jewel, and now, of his time period.

And she was fairly certain that she had gained nothing out of any of the things she had managed to seize from him. More than anything, she wished only to have remained dead.

Her eyes narrowed as she saw a lone bow, sitting all by itself, slightly buried in dirt. She found herself drawn to it, and the closer she got the more it looked all the more appealing. There were stray arrows all around the area, along with other weapons, thrown aside and abandoned.

She could only assume there had been a fight here, but when that was or how it turned out, she couldn't know. Although, by the bodies and blood buried under the ground, she could assume it hadn't turned out very well.

Her fingers gripped the bow, inspecting the string, easily finding it in far better condition than she would have guessed. Especially considered it looked to be far older than any bow she had ever obtained. Her eyes immediately wandered over to the arrows, scattered along the ground.

Maybe the Gods were merciful after all, and she could exact her revenge more permanently for once.

* * *

**Author's Note**

So I was all looking through the tags for fanfiction's NarKik, and I saw they were like totally virtually nonexistant, especially considering I have a lot of standards for a good pairing story. Example being, no smut for my childhood anime. I don't know. It's like watching my parents or siblings have sex. I am totally not interested in reading about the characters I grew alongside get down and dirty.

So it caused me to begin this fanfiction.

I should warn everyone. I am slow as shit. But I am hardworking and refuse to give up on stories. It's just like me.

I have other works on other sites, so juggling all of them can be hard.

BUT~ I won't ever forget about any of my uploaded fanfictions. :D

Please take care of me. I will do my best to make this a wonderful story to read. And if it sucks completely, I will do my best to make it better and improve with every chapter. Thank you very much~ :D


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The bow seemed to grow heavier, the closer she got to the cave. His presence hadn't moved, remaining in the exact position as before. Not a muscle seemed to have moved from where she had left him.

Did he know she wanted to kill him? Did he not care? Was he testing her?

Her fingers coiled around the wood of the bow, finding the cut from her nails had dug into the splitters of the weapon. She barely felt the tingle of pain, finding that it was the most bearable pain she had forced upon her in her entire existence. And yet, her steps seemed to slow. The pain was nothing, so why was she slowing? She brushed off unnecessary thoughts and quickened her pace, bow and arrows in hand she raised her weapon, prepared to shoot him from the distance she was at.

Did he not know he was moments from death? Still he did not move. Did he want to die? She found herself lowering the bow, and walking closer to the entrance of the cave, able to see his scarlet red eyes, just barely over the setting sun's light. He wasn't looking at her, but the moment she stepped into the cave his eyes seemed to dart in her direction.

He hadn't moved. He was in the exact spot she had left him in, the exact spot Onigumo had sold his body to demons.

She walked closer, finding her bow falling to her side. Slowly she knelt in front of him, his eyes scanning her every motion before settling for looking out into nothing.

"Do you pray for death?" She asked, breaking the silence that lingered between them. He didn't move or stir at her voice. It was as if nothing was reaching him. Physically his body was with her, but his conscious was somewhere far away where she knew nothing of at all.

Blinking, she placed her bow at her side, finding that he wasn't paying any attention to her.

As strange as it was, as hated as this demon was, she couldn't find it in herself to slay something so far off. It would be like killing a sleeping man.

Even when he wasn't trying, he thwarted all her intentions of revenge.

Her hands balled into fists as she found herself leaning against the walls of the cave. No longer did her eyes wander to him, finding herself far to exhausted to pay him any mind. She didn't know when it was that she had felt so weak. Her undead body had only needed souls to live, and yet she swiftly remembered that human bodies required so much up keeping.

The river was dry, she soon remembered. Water was far off in another land. Food as well. She couldn't move. Maybe she could just sit here and finally succumb to nothing. Joining her sister and her mother and her father hardly seemed so bad.

Staring out into nothing wasn't so bad, and the company of Naraku had effortlessly managed to fade to black in her mind. Every scent, every sight, every smell, they all just faded away. Her eyes, her nose, her lips, her fingers, they all just disappeared and the world became black.

She didn't know how long she stared out into nothing until she felt something slide next to her weakened form. Glancing down, she saw it was a wooden bowl filled with water. Her eyes blankly stared down at it, but found herself unable to process the item nor what she should do with it.

Her cracked lips slightly parted before closing again. But the light of the world faded soon after, and the bowl was untouched. She didn't have the strength to move, nor the strength to understand. She was weakened and she held nothing. No goal. No purpose. No reason.

The feeling of fingers, wrapping around the back of her neck, slightly got her attention. They weren't gentle, but they almost had the intention of being gentle. She felt a tiny pressure, slide against her lips, pushing something hard in between them. It wasn't long until she felt something cold, rush into her mouth, touching her tongue and suddenly fill her lips with moisture. The liquid slid down her throat, causing something to spark in her body, her fingers twitched at her side, trying to move them as to grab the wooden bowl of water.

Her eyes slightly cracked open, barely able to see the outline of raven black hair, and a dark blue haori, nearing the cloth of her hakama. She furrowed her eyebrows as her tongue dined on the refreshingly cool water.

Fingers slowly slid up her skull, running up her hair as a leg balanced her weakened form against it. She soon found strength coming back to her as she forced her heavy eyelids open, able to finally see the scarlet color of his eyes, seeping into her own.

She felt as if time had stopped while he stared her, and she felt disgust root itself into her belly. She couldn't breathe. It was almost as if his very hand was squeezing the life from her chest. She weakly knocked his hand and the water to the ground. He didn't look effected, as he only watched it fall to the ground, as if he had expected as much. She tore her body from his grasp, putting space between their forms as she have him a loathing scowl.

The sound of the wooden bowl, hitting the ground, echoed against her dull ears, and she felt the rage ignite as she saw his frame hadn't moved.

"Fitting." He finally spoke, his eyes still narrowed on her. "I give water to the dying Miko in the same place she gave water to the dying bandit." His voice echoed with amusement, causing her lips to curl in a scowl.

She erased all emotion from her face, her fingers curling around her bow, arrow in hand as she swiftly pulled the string back in one motion. "Fitting. Said dying Miko kills you in a place you should have already died."

Naraku's face was still clear of emotion as he glanced at the arrow, pointed at his head before glancing back at the Miko who pointed it. He didn't make any comments that the old Naraku would have, nor did he try and defend himself.

"Let it go. At this distance, I would certainly die." He stated, his eye connecting with hers.

"Without a doubt…" She replied, her fingers slightly shaking before she let the string go. The arrow soared past his face, causing a purifying light to erupt over the cave. The demon spirits that had laid to rest in the spot where Onigumo had laid his soul bare, seemed to vanquish with the purity of the arrow.

Naraku's eyes slightly widened as the arrow zoomed right past his cheek, hitting directly behind him. She looked surprised as well, as missing a target, especially one so close, was unheard of for one such as her.

Kikyo's expression swiftly emptied, and the feeling of his eyes burned against her. Burned inside her. Burned. Burned.

She quickly lowered her bow, much to both of their surprise.

"What point is there in killing a lowly hanyou, in the dirt of a lowly bandit?" She asked, quickly standing up so she wouldn't have to look upon him again.

The further she walked, the more she began to regret not drinking more of the water he had given to her. She regretted not savoring every last drop, and then she of course, regretted not killing him.

How many times will she repeat the same exact mistake? Will she ever get anything right?

But of course…there wasn't much else he could take from her. She now officially…

Lost everything.

But that was okay…

Because she could always make more. She had no goal, no purpose, so maybe…

She could finally just live.

•

"Lady Kikyo!" Exclaimed one of the little girls, holding out a necklace made entirely of flowers. "I made this for you."

The priestess's eyes immediately turned a shade softer as she gazed at the little girl, staring up at her with a gentle expression adorning her once expressionless face. Kneeling down, the woman knelt her head, awaiting for the little girl to place necklace over her head. She heard the girl give a happy laugh as she gently put her creation over the nice priestess's hair.

"It's beautiful Kaori," Kikyo stated, her fingers brushing over the beautifully tied flowers, forming a long necklace.

"Will you stay in this village for a long time, Kikyo-sama?" The girl asks, a bright smile on her face. Kikyo smiled as she looked to the ground, recovering herbs which she placed in the basket that was at her side.

"For as long as I am welcome." Kikyo replied, her fingers wrapping around another herb. She was slightly amazed at the sense of this exact scene repeating. How many years had it been since she had decided to remain in a village such as this? She had lost count.

Kikyo glanced up at the sky, finding herself strangely relieved. She was certain, if things remained like this, she would be able to live here.

"Kikyo-sama~!" Kaori asked, looking up from the medical herbs and towards the priestess's face. "The way you healed the dying men…they were moments from death. I've never seen anything like that."

Kikyo stopped picking the plants, as she was quite aware of how amazed the villagers were when she used her spiritual powers to cure the wounded soldiers. She wanted to live as a normal woman, but it seemed that she was unable to relinquish the way she found herself practically worshiped for her Miko abilities.

"Have you never seen a priestess before, Kaori?" Kikyo asked, and the little girl picked a herb from the garden before placing it in her own basket. The little girl's hum was actually rather soothing, causing the rigid Miko to almost feel slightly at piece.

"Never. I've heard of them…but I've never seen one. Are there a lot where you come from, Kikyo-sama?" Kaori asked, her eyes snapping back up to gaze upon the priestess.

"To become a Miko…one must undergo a strict training and be adapt with their chi," Kikyo explained, deciding to leave out the fact that all of it came by very easily to her. She figured that that sort of talk would make her only sound discouraging and arrogant.

The little girl looked down, her face shadowed, causing the woman to grow worried if she said something to upset her. The girl quickly spoke again, causing the Miko's worries to be cast aside. "K-Kikyo-sama…can I learn…to become a Miko like you?"

The priestess's eyes widened, and she found herself at a loss for words. She curled her fingers into a smooth fist, her lips tightly shut before she slowly knelt down next to the girl, who seemed to be looking at her with earnest and honest eyes.

"Why would you want to be come one, if I may ask?" Kikyo asked slowly and the little girl's expression turned slightly pained.

"Demons took over my house…they possessed my parents…" She said, her face reddening as tears threatened to explode from her eyes. "I wasn't able to do anything. I didn't know what to do."

"I see," Kikyo took a deep breath, before giving a gentle smile. "Lets go back to the village, we can talk about this later. I promise to consider teaching you."

The girl's face brightened with a smile before she gripped her basket tightly at her waist and quickly walked on ahead before looking back at the priestess. "Let's go quickly. The villagers will be happy to see you."

Kikyo's smile disappeared as soon as the girl's back was turned to her, eyes narrowed on the little girl's form. No matter how hard she concentrated, she wasn't able to sense even the tiniest amount of spiritual energy. This was rather impressive in its own right, as not many humans were so exceptionally unexceptional in the spiritual arts.

She sighed, softening her expression. It was probably for the best. To be a Miko is a lonely route to carry. It means to completely give up your mind and body for others. It means an early death. And in her case…

Two early deaths.

•

Kikyo wasn't stupid and the stench of his aura was embedded onto her soul, no matter how little of it was being leaked out. For days now, she had been waiting for it to disappear, but it seemed that no matter how long she waited, it stayed.

Her eyes lingered on the spirits of the dead, who were leeched onto many of the soldiers that came back to the village. It seemed that no matter what time period had passed, demons were still as brutal.

She reached her hand over, pressing her finger against the leeches of the netherworld. A tiny, unseen, light escaped her palm, successfully purifying the soldier of the leech. Again, everything felt like a repeat of a long ago time, making her almost feel like nothing was even real, and this was hell.

"He's going to be fine." Kikyo stated, and the villagers aiding the recovery abruptly smiled in delight.

"Your skills are just as impressive, Kikyo-sama," the man stated, and Kikyo bowed her head, before going to the last man and quickly purifying the creatures onto his soul.

"I shall head out and collect more herbs," Kikyo announced, and almost instantly she felt Kaori dash to her side.

"Can I accompany you Kikyou-sama," she asked, and Kikyo softened her smile as she shook her head.

"I'm afraid I am going further out, and you accompanying me will only be dangerous. Stay here and look after the soldiers," Kikyo's smile grew more gentle as she noticed the girl's disappointment. "Make more of the medicine I taught you. Only you know how to do it."

The girl instantly brightened and agreed, causing the woman to nod her head and quickly depart the hut. She quickly moved her way for the outskirts of the village, making sure to smile at all the villagers who greeted her.

Her bow was securely at her back, and no one seemed to question the fact she hadn't brought anything to carry the herbs she said she'd pick.

Her feet moved up the hill, finding the trees thickening the closer she got to the source of demonic energy.

He hadn't even moved. If he sensed her at all, he didn't seem to care. This was all fine to her. A non-moving target made things easier.

The opening in the trees grew nearer, and she soon found herself on a bear cliff, overlooking the village. She raised a brow, finding the scene far too bright for a demon to rest.

And rest he seemed to be doing, as he sat on the ground, his usual dark outfit still in place, his hair loose and flowing in the wind.

"Why here?" She asked, and Naraku barely looked her way. She was finding the silence from him as of late, to be rather tiring.

"I can ask you the same thing." He spoke, surprising her. "Someone like you…you could be anywhere. Why here?"

Kikyo found herself taken aback from the question, as she didn't have much answer for it, nor did she expect him to ask of such. The darkness of the jewel, it taking over him…just how much did it change him.

"Are you Naraku? Or are you Onigumo?" She asked, and that seemed to get the reaction of his scowl, a glare shooting straight through her. So he hasn't completely changed. That's good. It made it easier to hate him.

His expression disappeared, as if it never existed, before he went back to staring at nothing. "This village-"

"It reminds me of home. The place you took from me." She stated, her voice drowning with bitterness, causing his scarlet eyes to snap to meet her awaiting gaze.

"Ah. So it does." He replied, his black hair didn't stop swaying in the wind, almost looking like apart of the darkening sky.

"Why here, Naraku?" She repeated, and he didn't move.

"Hell if I know." He replied, and before she knew it, his entire body seemed to disappear, as if it were never there.

She still felt his presence, and her back immediately straightened when she felt it behind her. She immediately got ready to attack; not trusting her back to him as last time it had been the cause of her death.

"This village, you're so fond of," he whispered into her ear, causing every part of her to freeze. "Are you certain you're doing your best, Kikyo?"

"What do you mean by that?" She asked and she heard him sigh from behind her, as if he were doing something he had no desire to do.

"Can you not sense it, Kikyo?"

"…Sense what?"

"What indeed…"

His presence disappeared, and Kikyo soon found herself completely alone.

•

Kikyo found that his entire presence and aura reeked all over, no matter how much distance she placed in between herself and the foul demon, she could still feel it. She could still feel the vile and twisted sting of his lips so close to her ear, his breath gliding down her neck.

She rubbed her hand down her neck, trying to wipe off the feeling of him being so near. It was becoming routine these days and every time, it only succeeded in making the feeling of sickness that had settled in her gut, swell with bottled rage.

If she released it, then she wouldn't be the gentle priestess, Kikyo. She would be the bitter Miko who had followed InuYasha to death. She didn't want to become that person again, especially since there is no soul around that could heal her soul this time.

She was truly, and completely, alone.

The sound of rushing water, broke her swiftly from her thoughts, and she found herself drawn to the sound. Her feet moved closer to the spring, watching the tiny waterfall that was just barely hidden by trees.

She held her prayer beads close to her chest, effortlessly enacting a barrier before stripping herself of her outer clothes, leaving her in a familiar white undergarment. She quickly knelt by the spring, rubbing the water over her face, clearing everything of him. She used her nails, scrapping the feeling of his closeness from her skin.

Twice he caused her death. Twice.

Why couldn't he stay dead for a change? Why couldn't she? More than anything, she wanted live. She wanted to get rid of the hollow feeling in her chest. She wanted to live. But the fact that she couldn't seem to, made her want to die.

Her nails scraped harder against her neck, feeling blood seep from the scratch marks. She could still feel his demonic aura on her. From the time he held her and gave her water. From the time she dragged his useless body from the darkness.

She could feel it. She could smell it.

Her eyes stung in burning hatred, and it felt like a disease that wanted to swallow her up whole. Why did she save him? Again?

The disease just continued to taint her.

She quickly balled her hands into fists at her lap, shaking her head as she quickly washed the blood from her fingers, before doing the same with her neck.

It was all in her head. There was no aura. There was nothing.

It was like his very soul was embedded in her eyes. She could see him everywhere. She pressed her fingers into the water, causing a ripple to extend out and distort her reflection.

She quickly cleared her mind of all emotion, forcing herself to only look straight ahead and away from the water. Her legs ached as she stood up, the hollow feeling settled root in her chest, casting out the useless feeling of rage that had cast its spell over her weakened state. Barrier still in tact, she stepped away from the water and made her way back to the village, her barrier slowly disintegrating into nothing but the usual breeze of spring.

The moment she got closer to the village, she felt something was wrong. She quickened her pace as the fluctuation of demonic aura got stronger. Her hand instantly went into the jacket of her outfit, pulling out a tiny book. She quickly opened it, gathering spiritual energy into her palms and into her lips, she quickly blew, causing four paper cranes to fly out from the opened book.

Once they were in air, they quickly transformed into two familiar Shikigami, Kochō and Asuka. She had no desire to make a new form, as the little girls suited her just fine.

"Take me to the village." Kikyo ordered, and the girls merely nodded their head, before gripping onto her form, and easily hovering her into the sky. From a higher view, she was more easily able to see the dark cloud, looming over the village. It almost looked embedded into it, as if the cloud had been there all along.

Her Shikigami easily let her off, walking by her side as she entered the village. The moment she got there, she noticed everyone's faces where slightly distorted, as if they weren't truly there. They smiled and greeted her, which she blankly made no response. The creatures from the netherworld had once more gathered all over their bodies, despite the fact she had just purified them on their last visit.

Naraku's words came back into her head, almost like a parasite that leeched onto her subconscious.

Was the dark demonic aura…always here?

"Kikyo-sama!" Kaori ran up to hug her, and once more, Kikyo felt all the dark aura, fade off into nothing. The demonic energy completely disappeared.

She gazed around, confused.

"Did you find the herbs you went out looking for?" Kaori asked, her innocent face staring into Kikyo's non-existent expression.

"No. They had died from the rain." Kikyo stated, moving past the girl who quickly moved at her side.

Her eyes narrowed on some of the people, the creatures of the netherworld had disappeared from their bodies.

What was going on? Was her spiritual abilities so weak?

No.

Kikyo's eyes narrowed.

Something was playing with her and she was stuck in their game.

"Is something wrong Kikyo-sama?" Kaori asked, looking up at the troubled priestess as they walked back to the hut where the wounded soldiers lay.

"No. Don't worry." Kikyo smiled, stopping and staring at the wounded man who she had healed just before she had left. The creatures from the netherworld surrounded his body once again. She knelt down and quickly purified them, causing the man to let out a breath of relief as the pain gradually receded.

Kikyo slowly replaced his bandages, making sure to inspect the demonic aura that once more returned to his wound. It was fresh. As if something drained the life out of him once more.

"Is something wrong, Kikyo-sama?" Kaori asked, her voice appearing from behind the priestess.

Kikyo's eyes narrowed as she finished purifying the wound, the venom quickly escaping into nothing.

Something was playing with this village.

"Kikyo-sama?" Kaori repeated, and Kikyo shook her head before gazing onto the little girl.

"Nothing's wrong. But the sun is setting. You should get ready to sleep." Kikyo ordered, walking past the little girl to go into the hut the villagers had set aside for her. She leaned her back against the wall, her eyes narrowing as she saw the tinge of a black aura on her palms. She quickly purified it, but the sight of it had successfully managed to make her cringe.

"Kikyo-sama!" Kaori's voice came from outside her door, startling the woman out of her thoughts. She found her form slightly weakened, all the use of her spiritual powers seemed to make her sick. In her weakness, the little girl seemed to grow impatient. "KIKYO-SAMA!"

The shout was so angry, causing the priestess to jump slightly in surprise. She didn't understand why the little girl sounded so angry all of a sudden.

"DON'T IGNORE ME KIKYO!" The girl's sudden drop of a horrific caused the Miko's eyes to narrow. Something was wrong.

He fingers gripped onto her bow, opening the cover of the door, pointing the arrow at the little girl who stood still at the entrance. Kaori didn't blink. Didn't move. And as far as Kikyo could tell, didn't breathe.

"What are you?" Kikyo asked, and the girl didn't move a single muscle.

"What do you mean, Kikyo-sama?" The girl's innocent voice came back; the expression of nothing disappeared and was replaced with surprise. "Why are you aiming that at me?"

Kikyo raised a brow, letting the string go, causing the arrow to zoom towards the girl's face. The light from the arrow suddenly disappeared, and the girl swiftly caught it by the base.

"What are you?" Kikyo asked, reloading the bow, not letting surprise show on her face. The girl had absorbed her spiritual energy as if it were food.

"Keeping up pretext is so difficult. You priestesses are always so…." The little girl's face distorted, and Kikyo began to see the gruesome underneath. The image turned back into the Kaori she knew, before distorting and repeating the process. "But I kept up my skills."

"How many have you drawn here, just to feed off their spiritual energy?" Kikyo asked and the girl raised a brow, her image fully distorting and finally the woman was able to see the rotting flesh of a child. The smell came next, before it all disappeared.

"I lose track over the decades." The girl stated, her voice holding an echo of another. "But never one as…_delicious_ as you, Kikyo-_sama_." The woman made no retort, keeping the bow aimed at the girl's body. "I wasn't completely lying. I really haven't met a Miko like you before. You have so much energy. It's like drinking from a never ending river. I could have dined on you for years."

"Is that so?" Kikyo asked, her mind resting on the two Shikigami she had left at the end of the village.

"To think you still had the ability to even shoot an arrow with so much energy…" The girl stated blankly. "…but you just had to go and see the truth. I have to admit, that has never happened before. No Miko has ever seen through me as you have. And in only ten short days."

She fired the next arrow, surprising the girl as the light from the arrow was greater. The energy's light diminished slightly, but it was obvious that the girl couldn't eat all of it in the short time, forcing her to physically dodge it.

"Oh my." Kaori stated, her image completely distorting into a dead corpse of a child.

"How long as the child been dead?" Kikyo asked, placing another arrow in the bow.

The girl's face contorted in rage, half of it going back to its original state while the other half stayed a corpse. It was effected by her purification at least a little.

"Is anyone here even alive?" Kikyo continued, firing the next arrow. The girl swiftly dodged it.

"They were delicious."

"So this is a village of corpses?"

"Real humans are troublesome to constantly manipulate." Kaori replied, her lips curling into a twisted and awkward grin. "But they are all still here."

"How many are being manipulated to walk amongst the living by demons?"

Kikyo's question was answered as the villagers began to walk towards her, surrounding her in the crowd. She could see all their faces begin to distort, showing the true face of corpses underneath.

"I'm actually very sad…we gave you whatever you wanted." One of the villagers stated.

"We gave you a home. We gave you purpose."

"You wanted a purpose."

"You wanted to feel needed."

"We need you."

"We're so hungry."

Kikyo's eyes narrowed, firing an arrow into the head of one of the corpses. The body almost immediately lit up in a blue fire, before disappearing completely.

"Is this how you repay our kindness?" Kaori asked, her face drooping down to be sad. The skin of the corpse, distorted by her abilities to see it, sagged in a grotesque manner.

"I need no kindness nor purpose from demons." Kikyo fired the arrow at the little girl, causing her eyes to widen as her body lit up in flames. Kikyo immediately saw the hut she stayed in, dissolve into black goo, seeping into the ground. The moment the goo tried to devour her, she purified the soil, but it seemed to only grow.

It fed off her energy as well.

Kikyo's face immediately scowled, her Shikigami quickly flying to her side, creating a blue barrier around her form.

"Still so much energy." A voice echoed around her.

"Delicious." The hands of corpses all pressed against her barrier, and she immediately felt it slightly weaken.

They were feeding off it?

Her lips curled into a scowl, making it stronger.

Right when she was going to move her lips into a spell, the bodies of the villagers all erupted in fire. As they caught aflame, she was able to finally see their souls, burning in misery beneath the possession of the demons. Her eyes widened at the grotesque site, and she immediately let down her barrier, finding the souls all trying to cling onto her for salvation.

She pressed her hands up, using her powers to purify their souls to finally rest. She could feel them swarm around her, before slowly disappearing.

"Putting down your barrier to help a couple humans pass on?" Stated a cold voice that she didn't much recognize. "I don't know how you managed to burn my brothers, but you won't escape." The form of a grotesque demon immediately charged at her, taking on no human form. She found her arms weakened at her side. She couldn't move. She couldn't put up a barrier.

The two Shikigami at her side had even begun to turn into paper.

A hand abruptly shot through the chest of the deep, causing splatters of blood to hit her face. Her eyes widened as the demon was flung to the side like it were paper.

Naraku didn't look at her, only at his hand, as if he were surprised at saving her life as well. His hair hung loose at his shoulders, slightly covered in blood.

"Why?" She asked, and his eyes shot up to meet hers.

He dropped his arm at his side, his fingers twitching as a flame shot out and completely burned the demon he had just saved her from. His eyes were filled with indifference, as if he had purposely blocked her off from seeing anything.

"I don't know." He finally replied, looking only at her.

* * *

**Author's Note**

I don't usually upload this soon. Considering this story is relatively new, I guess I'm on a roll.

I am trying to make it so Naraku, while he is a main character, doesn't meet with Kikyo often in the beginning. I want to be able to savor their small encounters, that way it becomes more special. Well, as special as a woman meeting with her killer could be under the circumstances.

This story is slightly different than anything I've ever written, as I have never paired up a couple as dysfunctional as NarKik. Like I am all for dysfunctionality, but to pair up someone with their killer...well...it's different for me.

I am trying my best to make the feeling sound realistic, while still getting everyone as in character as possible. It's surprisingly hard.

I would like anyone who sees a problem with the OOCness to tell me. I want to only improve.

Thank you very much for reading~ ^-^


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